Getting Ready For the Wedding Rehearsal

Ever wonder what it’s like for a planner on rehearsal day. Well since I’m getting ready for a big wedding this weekend, congratulations Laura and Joey, I thought we’d do a run through of my day.

Cathy, one of my assistants with the "bible"

Already this morning, I have talked to several of the vendors. I’m waiting for a call from the tent people to let me know what time they will be arriving to set up the tent. I have printed off timelines and diagrams for all my staff that will be working the wedding. I have put together the “bible” for this wedding. A notebook filled with everything I need to know for the big day. This includes my welcome speech that I do before every rehearsal.

As soon as I get the call I will drive the 30 or so minutes out to the site, to make sure everything is set correctly then come back in time to get everything together for the rehearsal. This means, practice bouquets, the Ipod for music for practice (since the musicians don’t come till tomorrow) and our walkie talkies to make sure they will work out there. Oh and I will need to print off name tags to give the people in the processional.

Mary and Cathy at rehearsal

Once my staff is here, we will drive back out to the site and set up for rehearsal. This means making sure chairs are in place, table is up for sand ceremony and Ipod is set to go. Once everyone arrives we will run through the rehearsal. This usually takes one hour and then grab a bite to eat somewhere on the road and back home.

At home we’ll make any changes to the timelines or diagrams that are needed and charge up the walkie talkies and camera. Then it’s time to start packing up everything we will need, emergency kit, steamer, easels, etc. and everything the bride has brought me to set up for the wedding, favors, programs, portrait, bubbles, memorial candles, etc. After that I’ll press the clothes we’ll need for tomorrow and it’s off to bed to try to get a few hours sleep, before the big day.

Wow, I’m exhausted just thinking about it. I can’t imagine how a stressed bride could handle all this without the help of a planner or why she would want to.

We're Famous!!

I am pleased to announce that the Willrich Wedding Planner's Blog has been listed by Best Wedding Blogs as one of the nation’s most savvy wedding blogs. Best Wedding Blogs was started in Northern California by Stacie Tamaki and now is nationwide. It is quite the honor to be among those chosen.

Finding the Perfect Wedding Dress At An Affordable Price

One of the hardest parts of planning a wedding is making a budget and sticking to it. The toughest part of sticking to the budget for any bride is purchasing the dress. Just about every little girl dreams of the perfect wedding dress and perfect dreams are expensive. But one of my new favorite bridal shops in the Greenville/Mauldin/Simpsonville area is here to help you with this problem.

The Dress, an upscale bridal consignment boutique that recently opened in East Butler Plaza (103D East Butler Road) in Mauldin, SC, carries some of the most beautiful gently used or new bridal dresses I’ve seen. None of the dresses are more than five years old and all have been carefully dry cleaned before being displayed. The selection is beautiful. We are talking upscale and couture.

When I stopped by for a tour and was so impressed, I asked the owner Julia, who is very sweet, if she would mind doing an interview for my readers and she graciously accepted.

Tell me what makes your company special:

We are the only upscale bridal consignment boutique in the Greenville Area. We carry a beautiful selection of bridal gowns, bridesmaid gowns, and accessories. We also work closely with a few bridal salons, and have received a number of their stunning couture sample gowns. Our gowns are no more than five years old, in excellent condition, and similar in style to what you will find in bridal stores today, but at a fraction of the price. If a bride finds “the one”, she can walk out that day with her gown. She does not have to order the gown, and wait months for it to arrive. With the rising costs of weddings, a bride can come to our boutique, find the perfect gown, take it home that day, and use the money she saved on the dress, towards the honeymoon!!

How did you get started in the business?

The idea for this boutique came from my own frustrations in the search for my wedding gown. Everything I tried on was gorgeous, but strapless. I wanted something different. Online shopping revealed an enormous selection of gowns. I was hesitant to buy online, because I didn’t know what I would really get. There were too many uncertainties for me. I wished there was a local store that had at least some of the designer labels I saw online, so I could try them on. I thought that I couldn’t be the only bride who felt way. So, the idea for my boutique was born…

What do you like best about your job?

I LOVE when a bride finds THE gown. It is such a special moment. I love being part of that experience.
What are the questions a bride should ask when choosing a vendor in your field?

Do I need an appointment to try on, or consign gowns? Do you perform alterations, or can you recommend someone? Are items returnable? As for The Dress, appointments to shop are not necessary, and after hours appointments can certainly be scheduled. Our gowns are not ordered. What you try on is what you can walk out with that day, and all sales are final.

What is the hardest thing about your job?

I want to break the stigma of bridal “consignment”. Coming to my boutique is like attending a sample sale all year round. A wedding gown is only worn one day. If it is taken care of, and cleaned well, it can look brand new! I am selective with the gowns I accept, and I am always looking for that stunning couture gown to resell. Not all consignment stores are the same.

Anything else we should know:

I love what I do! I help dress all my brides, and give them each a personalized, enjoyable shopping experience. I do not believe in “high-pressure” sales. I will not tell a bride the gown looks beautiful on her just to make the sale. Come in and enjoy!

Thanks Julia for taking the time to talk with us.

Photographs by Gene Ho

A Beautiful Outdoor Wedding in The Park

This weekend we did a beautiful wedding at Mary’s Restaurant in the Cottage at Falls Park in downtown Greenville, SC. Thankfully, the weather turned cooler and the rain stayed away for the outdoor ceremony of Becky and Jason. Since the couple had spent several years in Germany and many of the guests were German the wedding definitely had a bit of an international flair.
As her colors Becky chose lavenders, whites and deep purples. Her décor was candlelight, pearls and deep purple ribbon. Dave McMillan did the bridal parties’ beautiful flowers and the flowers on the patio overlooking the park below. The ceremony was held on the patio and during the cocktail hour chairs were removed, cocktail tables added and it became the dance area after dinner.
Becky chose not to have flowers on the guests’ tables but instead we put together different vignettes of candles, pearls, glass crystals and silver trays. My team hung pearls with ribbon from the staircase. It was gorgeous. The arrangements gave everything a romantic, chic feeling.
We had two flowers girls and a little girl ring bearer too. They were so cute. I love the pillow that Becky’s mother-in-law made for the ring bearer.
Cocktail hour was held under the trees in the garden area and under a tent on the front lawn. There was cheese and crackers and a fruit display. Shrimp shooters and other hors d’oeuvres were butlered through the crowd.

Dinner was a buffet and was excellent. We had seating under the tent and inside the cottage, including the upper deck that overlooked the ceremony and dance area. The cake cutting took place in the garden area next to the sweetheart table. Champagne was butlered to the guests, for their enjoyment during the toasts. It was all very elegant and lovely.

Thanks again to Becky and Jason for choosing Willrich Bridal to help with their wonderful event.

Best Wishes at Weddings

Looking for something a little different to do at your wedding or reception? Why not have guests fill out small cards with advice or best wishes for the wedding couple. These are then dropped in a bowl or box for the wedding couple to read later. It can be done at the cocktail hour or even before the ceremony. To have guests complete during the ceremony, place small bags containing a card and a pen on each chair. Guests can write their wishes while waiting for the festivities to start. After the wedding as they move to the reception, they drop the cards in a bowl, box or birdcage by the door.

Seeing Love

Now here is a change that I wish would become tradition. As you can see in the picture above this wonderful sweet priest, who happened to be the bride’s uncle, wanted the guests to be able to see the bride and groom’s face. So he chose to stand with his back to the congregation. This allowed everyone to see the bride and groom’s loving faces, rather than their backs. As beautiful as the back of the wedding dress is, I would much rather see the faces of the couple. This is a change to tradition that I agree with.

Wedding Etiquette

Let’s talk about wedding etiquette. Last time I counted that was not a four letter word. But it seems to most brides today it is. If one more bride tells me I don’t want a stuffy old “etiquette” ruled wedding, I may just throw Emily Post’s book right at them. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the casual wedding as well as the formal wedding, but even casual weddings need to follow certain rules.

Etiquette is not there to make your life miserable; it is there to give guidelines to the event to make it run smoothly. Why else do you think these rules would have survived all these years? People know these rules, understand them, and expect them. When you move away from them it results in confusion and confused guests do not equal an exceptional wedding.

For example, take the bride who feels she doesn’t need groomsmen or ushers to seat her guests, “they can seat themselves”. Ok, do you think this bride is going to be happy when she starts down the aisle and all the guests are seated on the groom’s side, because they seated themselves? In this case, where the groom has a huge in town family and the bride doesn’t, we can let the rule of the bride and groom side slide a little and use the groomsmen to seat people evenly on both sides.

Or take the bride that says her mother does not need to be escorted down the aisle. Ok, fine the director is in the back and she can tell the mother when to walk in, but what about when to return down the aisle, she may not remember in the excitement when she is suppose to walk out. With no extra arm there to support her, she may slip walking out (especially if it is an outdoor ceremony). Ushers (or groomsmen) are there for a reason.

I agree some rules can slide, the bride or groom’s side, vellum in the invitation, inside envelopes, and receiving lines. All these had a reason in their day, which no longer apply in today’s world. But other rules still hold true. If it will help your wedding to run smoothly, relax and go with it. A little etiquette never hurt anyone.

Children and Dancing at the Reception

A DJ and I were talking at a wedding not long ago, and I asked if he had noticed that when children get on a dance floor, the party dies. He totally agreed. Now, I have nothing against children, I have one of my own, but when small children take to the dance floor, for some reason the adults leave.

Why does this happen? I’m not sure. Maybe it’s to watch, maybe they are afraid they will run into the children, or maybe and this is more likely, they are afraid the children will run into them. Think about it, usually when children hit the dance floor there is lots of wild spinning, and slinging each other around going on.

What can you do about it as a bride? Not much, unless you go with an adults only reception. What can you do about it as a guest? Don’t let your children take over the dance floor. Sure it’s cute for a little while to see them having a good time, but be aware when it is starting to interfere. And please, keep the children off the floor during the first dance (true story). No one wants to see your children up there dancing with the bride and groom. Pay attention to what is going on!!!

Elysia and PJ's Wedding

We did a really fun and sweet wedding on Friday. This 8/8/08 event was the wedding of Elysia and PJ, held at Prince of Peace with a reception at the Hilton. Elysia probably wins the award for my most laid back bride yet. They had a really fun and friendly crowd as you can see from the pictures.

This is Elysia and her beautiful wedding party.

Prince of Peace is so beautiful. Pictures can not do it justice.

We went with a palette of black and white, with touches of blue and pink. The flowers were done by Kaye at Just Weddings. The beautiful cake was done by Susan at Couture Cakes of Greenville. Since Elysia is a hair stylist, hair and makeup was done at Volume, the shop where she works. Gene at Storybook Day did the pictures and I can’t wait to get a look at them. Until then, here are some of the photos we took. Enjoy!

Waiting to go down the aisle.

The first dance

Elysia and PJ kissing to please the crowd. This happened more than once.

The cake cutting

Great Pictures But At What Cost To Your Wedding Reception

When trying to make your decision on a photographer be sure to ask them what will happen during the reception? If they tell you, that they like to take the bride and groom outside to get some pictures once the reception has started, put the photo album down and walk away. Now, I understand that the photographer wants to get those great sunset pictures of you and the groom and I’m all for that. But if those pictures are important to you, plan your wedding so that sunset falls during cocktail hour and therefore the 30 minutes to an hour that pictures are normally taken after the wedding. Or better yet, plan to do “day after” pictures with the photographer and get those pictures the day following your wedding.

Guests won’t miss you during the cocktail hour. They are busy catching up with friends and enjoying the food and drink. Take all the pictures you want during that time. But, when a photographer pulls you away from the actual reception, it is taking away party time for you and your guests. All that effort you put into your timeline, goes out the window. If the guests have to stand around and wait on you to come back in so dinner can start, neither the guests nor the caterer is going to be happy. If guests are waiting on the first dance, bouquet toss, etc., they are not happy and you are losing valuable party time. Time spent with the photographer when you should be mingling with guests and thanking them for attending (more about the importance of that in upcoming blog) is not good. When the bride and groom disappear from the reception, the reception loses momentum and guests are left wondering what is going on.

Pictures are a beautiful and important part of your wedding, plan ahead and make then work with your reception instead of against.

A Change of Clothes for the Bride

White Eyelet Sheath by Ann Taylor

Even if you are planning to wear your wedding dress to leave your wedding, remember to have a “just in case” change of clothing at the wedding. Years ago, every bride had a change of clothes, a “going away outfit” to wear when leaving the reception. Today, most brides tend to leave in their wedding dress. Personally, I’m all for leaving in the wedding dress. The pictures are great and since you have paid a fortune for a dress you will only wear once, I say wear it for as long as you can.

With that being said, even if you do plan to leave in your wedding dress, have a nice change of clothes on hand just in case you need it You never know, if you or someone else will spill a glass of red wine down your dress, if it will be so hot you can’t stand it, or so tight you just can’t eat or dance in it. You don’t want your only choice for changing to be the jean shorts and red top you wore while having your hair and makeup done before the wedding.

Be prepared and have something nice on hand that you can change into, if you have to. I am not talking about the over the top second dress that platimum brides do (unless you have that kind of budget). White pants and a top will work nicely, a white dress or anything that will still say bride, but be comfortable. Don’t spend a fortune; hopefully you won’t wear it, but better safe than sorry.

What Makes A Wedding Guest Happy...Part 5- Parking

When looking for a site to have either your rehearsal dinner or wedding and reception remember to check the parking available. Is it plentiful, is there valet available? If not is there a parking garage? What is the cost? Can you pay ahead of time so guests are not required to pay for parking (not totally necessary, but very thoughtful)? How close is actual parking to your site? Will guests have a long walk? What if it’s raining, or very hot? What will handicapped guests do?

For out of town guests, if parking is not attached to the site, be sure to include directions to where they should park. Nothing irritates a guest more than having to drive around searching for affordable parking for your event.